Love Be Yours
by ladyshalott
Summary: A girl, broken and alone. A boy, alone and broken. A city that breaks those who live within, and leaves them crumbled and alone. Amidst such emptiness, can two damaged souls find wholeness together? Modern day AU, NaLu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** In the future I won't put these at the beginning of chapters, but I need to get a bit of info across. This is a modern day, Fairy Tail AU. The main pairing will be a slowly-developing NaLu. Side pairings are Gajevy, Gruvia and Jerza. There may be additional pairings that pop up, but I have none in mind. This will be slow to be uploaded, so please forgive me for that. Now for the important stuff. I wanted to read a NaLu Fairy Tail story that fit a certain hurt/comfort mold, but was unable to find one that suited, so I began to write this, instead. If there is no interest in this fic, it will not be continued. However, if there is interest, I will see it through to completion, no matter how long it takes. This story is written from only one point of view, that of Lucy Heartfilia. It is, as I mentioned, a hurt/comfort/romance. It is rated "M" for a reason, and the following may be potential triggers for some readers: domestic violence, criminal violence, very light descriptions of sexual violence, PTSD, abandonment, co-dependency, very light descriptions of drug use and of course, politics. All situations (except for the criminal) come from either my own experiences, or that of close friends. However, any discrepancies are my own.

**Disclaimer: **Fairy Tail and associated characters belong to Mashima Hiro, et al. All other characters are my own creation.

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><p><em>Can we pretend that airplanes<em>

_In the night sky_

_Are like shooting stars?_

_I could really use a wish right now…_

"Airplanes" B.O.B and Hayley Williams

There was a halo around the moon that night. It was red, blood red. Didn't that foretell bad luck? Lucy paused, wiped her eyes. No. The blood color was coming from her own fluid, dripping steadily down her face from her nose, mouth and numerous cuts on her face and hairline. She clutched her bad arm with her good and stumbled on.

God damn this rotten city. No one paused to help a girl in need, no one even looked at her twice, preferring to avert their eyes and avoid any trouble. She stumbled again. Where was her street? Certainly, she had gone too far. She was dizzy, and the blood kept flowing. She couldn't feel her fingers in her right arm. She thought it might be broken. It hadn't been the first fight between them, but it was certainly the worst. Lucy had no doubt that if she hadn't gotten away when she did, she would have lost her life. As it was, she couldn't help but wonder if it was not already hanging on the line. She was so tired…

"_You bitch!" He screamed at her, so angry that spittle flew from his mouth. "I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut about my business, and instead you went an blabbed it all to your daddy!"_

"_I didn't" Lucy whimpered, trying to get her split lips to function properly. "I swear I didn't say a word, Eli!"_

_He hit her, his fist sending her sprawling. Lucy had already tried to block one strike, and now her right arm ached and she had no feeling in her hand. Because she couldn't properly cushion her fall, she hit the side of her head on the floor and saw stars. Eli grabbed her by the shirt collar, lifting her up. His voice hissed out in a furious whisper. "If you didn't say anything, then how come the whole of Heartfilia Enterprises knows about the deals I've been making?"_

_She was crying, the tears making pink tracks on her bloody cheeks. "I swear to God, I don't know! I haven't talked to my father in months, you know that! Eli, please!"_

_He threw her down and began pacing, muttering to himself. "Jude is pretty closemouthed, but I don't know about his minions. If word of this gets to the D.A., I'm fucked. FUCKED, YOU HEAR ME?" The last words were bellowed at Lucy. She whimpered and held out her hands. _

"_Please, Eli, stop this. There has to be a solution. I'll talk to my dad, I'll work things out. Your reputation will be safe, I promise, just please, stop this."_

_He looked at her and she shrank back. All Lucy could see in her boyfriend's eyes was madness. His pacing ceased and he came over to her. Putting a hand to her cheek, he cradled her throbbing head._

"_Poor Lucy. Does it hurt? You know I never want to hurt you. But don't you see? You've betrayed me. What should I do with you now?"_

"_No…" She whispered. "No, I would not do that to you. I love you, Eli."_

_He tsked. "I love you, too, Lucy, and that's why this hurts me more than it hurts you." She didn't see his other hand come flying, missed the strike, but heard the sound of bone breaking and felt the warm slide of blood down her lips and over her chin. The pain was so intense that she was blinded by tears, and she didn't realize Eli had left her until she heard the sound of boxes moving in the bedroom. The bedroom… where he had a gun hidden in the closet._

"_I'm sorry it had to come to this, Lucy. I really am. But I can't leave any loose ends flapping about. I've got my career to think about…"_

_Lucy didn't hear the rest of his words. Understanding now just how far he was gone, and knowing exactly what he meant by loose ends, she staggered to her feet. Using the dining room table to leverage herself, she started for the front door. Her hand was on the knob when she heard him again. "Lucy?"_

_She fumbled with the knob cursing her useless right arm, and didn't dare to pause and look at him. Flinging the door open she forced her feet into a run. She could hear Eli approaching behind her, then she was bursting into the fire escape with only the sound of his voice echoing plaintively behind her. "Luuuucy!"_

Those five flights down the stairs had been the longest steps of her life. Lucy had been certain that at any minute, she would hear Eli behind her, or that he would fire a shot at her. She supposed that even a homicidal maniac had enough sense of self preservation not to go shooting up the public areas of the building he lived in.

Speaking of buildings… Lucy wiped her eyes again and looked around desperately. She was definitely not in her right mind, but the trip to her apartment from Eli's shouldn't be this long. She wanted to get home, call the police and take a trip to the hospital, in that order. Her purse and other personal items she had left behind in her haste, so she didn't have her mobile phone. Nor did she have her keys, for that matter, but she could get a spare from the Super. It seemed, however, in her delirium she had lost her way. She wasn't familiar with this part of Magnolia, and as she looked around she grew decidedly more uncomfortable. If she thought people went out of their way to avoid her in the nice part of town, on these streets folks were avoiding her like the plague.

It was easy to understand why. Magnolia was a city ripped apart by brutal gang warfare. Its proximity to the nation's border made the movement of all manner of illegal goods incredibly easy, and cartels from several neighboring nations had set up shop within the city limits. Respectable folks stayed near the city's bustling western business district, where the police still patrolled, and kept a modicum of order. The closer you got to downtown or the southern shipyards, the more dangerous the streets became. This was where the rival gangs fought for control and even your manner of dress could be the reason you ended up with a bullet in your brain.

Lucy was extremely dizzy, and extremely tired. She wanted nothing else but to just lay down forever and let the pain slip away. Desperate to keep her bearings, she searched for some sort of landmark. There, up ahead, a street sign. She went toward it, tripping several times but managing to stay upright.

"Ha… ci…enda." She muttered to herself. Hacienda Street? Was there such a place in Magnolia? Looking right, she could see what appeared to be an open establishment about a block away. Perhaps she could use the telephone. She started towards the lights she could see in the windows when a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her. She took another step, and this time the dizziness was accompanied by nausea. _Concussion…_ was her last thought before the blackness took her.

Voices buzzed in her ears like flies, and Lucy tried in vain to pull herself out from under the strange, grey fog that seemed to be blanketing her vision. She didn't know where she was or how she got here, all she could sense were the murmur of voices and a searing pain shooting down her right arm.

Voices… there were two. One, a rough male baritone coming from her left side. The other, a high female voice that sounded young. It seemed like the female was on her right. Perhaps related to the pain? Lucy couldn't string her thoughts together. Before she had a chance to make sense of anything, there was a prick in her arm and then giddy relief washed over her. She was unconscious again before she could understand what was happening.

The second time Lucy woke up it was to silence. She still couldn't seem to bring herself to full consciousness, but she was aware of what felt like a pillow under her head and a blanket over her lower body. There was no pain, still only a blissful lethargy and she wanted to float in that emptiness forever. She supposed she was in a hospital, yes, some good, gentle soul had taken pity on her. She didn't hear the beeping of a heart monitor or any other sounds she would normally associate with such a place, but Lucy attributed that to the darkness encroaching on her mind. Pleased, she let herself slide into nothingness.

When Lucy became conscious for the third time, she found herself fully awake and aware. Her body still seemed to be difficult to move, and she had a funny, giddy feeling about her, but she struggled to sit up. Her eyes felt like they were held together with glue as she peeled them open and looked around. This was not a hospital, or if it was, it was the most under funded hospital on the planet. The stark walls were cinderblock and nothing adorned them. There was no window, only a cheap plywood cabinet, laminate counter and metal door set in the opposite wall. The bed she was on was a standard twin bed with a lumpy mattress and itchy polyester blanket.

"What… where am I?" Lucy muttered to herself, while attempting to wiggle her toes. It seemed she had control over her body, except for her right arm, which was bandaged tightly and set in a sling. The more she attempted to move, the more pain was creeping in both her arm and her face. Gingerly patting herself, Lucy could feel swelling and several bandages, the largest being over her nose. Tiredness washed over her and Lucy thought about just laying back down and drifting back into comfortable oblivion.

A tremendous bang from outside the door startled that thought right out of her head. Lucy's heart raced as she listened desperately, trying to make out the sounds of anyone coming her way. She suddenly realized how vulnerable she was, and couldn't get the image of Eli coming to clean up loose ends out of her head. Forcing her body into motion, she slid off the bed and stood shaking. She was wearing only a real hospital gown, which someone had kindly cinched tight in the back, and her own clothes were nowhere in sight. She shuffled over to the cabinet, finding it easier (and more painful) to move with each step. Inside the cabinet were shelves full of regular first aid items, as well as some more interesting medical equipment, but no clothes. Shutting it again, Lucy stepped away from the cabinet and considered her options.

The Lucy from before would have sat down on the bed again and waited for someone to arrive. For more than a year now, she had been relying on Eli to guide her, and to make her decisions for her, so to be without his guidance felt unusual. Despite that, Lucy could remember a time when she'd been independent and fearless, and had never questioned herself. That Lucy was clawing her way to the forefront, screaming that she'd been there all along and it was about damn time. In her newfound burst of confidence, Lucy decided to leave her confinement, clothing be damned.

Trying the handle of the metal door found it to be unlocked, and Lucy peeked out into the hallway. It was a normal looking hallway, with fluorescent lights overhead and boring white linoleum underfoot. At one end of the hall was an emergency exit, at the other were three doors. The door to the right was unmarked but had the type of port hole you might see in a restaurant kitchen door. The door on the left had a little plaque on the front, but Lucy was too far away to make out the writing. The door in the middle was also unmarked but looked much like the door she had come out of. Picking her way down the hall, Lucy eyed the three uncomfortably. This close she could see the plaque on the left door read "Office". Lucy tried the handle. It was locked. She turned to the right and nearly came nose to nose with a girl coming through the swinging door. Lucy jumped back, while the other girl let out a yelp. She nearly dropped the tray she was carrying and Lucy made motion to grab it before a shooting pain in her arm halted her.

"Oh, gosh." The girl chuckled. "Oh, you frightened me."

Lucy didn't say anything, just stared at her tensely. The other girl shook her head. "This is terrible, you shouldn't be up! Is something wrong? Do you need more morphine? Wendy isn't here, so you'll have to wait."

Lucy took a step back, and cleared her throat. "M-morphine?"

"Oh, yes. You'd be in a lot of pain, otherwise. You have a pretty severe fracture to your ulna. It's going to hurt for several days. Along with that a myriad of cuts and bruises and a broken nose. Oh, but don't worry, it's set straight."

Lucy gulped. "Where am I?"

"Ah, ah. Well, this is something like a clinic? Among other things." The girl seemed nervous and it set Lucy on edge. She looked at the tray in the other girl's hand, noticing for the first time the covered plate and cup.

"I was just about to bring this to you", the girl nodded to the tray, "but it slipped when I tried the door handle. I had to prepare a fresh plate."

Lucy looked nervously between the girl and the emergency exit. Could she make a break for it? But she wasn't wearing any clothes. The girl was still talking.

"Come on, now, and let's get you settled again. By the time you finish eating Wendy should be in and you can have some more morphine."

"No!" Lucy was a little embarrassed by the volume of her voice, and took a deep breath. "No, thank you. I just want my clothes so I can leave."

"Your clothes? Oh dear. Well, I think they are around here somewhere, but their conditions are awful. If you wait, someone is supposed to be bringing you something."

Lucy felt her heart drop. "Eli? Eli is bringing me clothes?"

"Who? No, I don't think so. The last time I heard, Erza was going to bring something."

Erza? I don't…never mind. Can I just have my own clothes? I don't care about the condition. Just please, I want to go home."

The other girl looked hard at her but shrugged. "I'll get them." She disappeared back into the kitchen then returned empty handed. Taking a key from her pocket, she let herself into the office. A moment later she returned with Lucy's dirty, torn clothes.

Lucy took the garments. "Thank you…" her voice trailed off questioningly.

"Mirajane. Mirajane Strauss." The other girl smiled. "And you are?"

"Lucy." Lucy turned abruptly and headed back to the clinic room. Once inside, she struggled into her clothes, biting back curses as she avoided any movement with her bad arm. It wasn't easy and by the time she finished she was sweating with exertion and pain. Leaving the room again, she found Mirajane in the same spot that Lucy had left her.

"I really don't think you should leave." Mirajane said with a frown. "At least wait until someone can drive you home. The master will be here, soon, too and I'm sure he'd like… well you should speak with him."

Lucy shook her head. "No, thank you, I will be fine. However, I don't have my purse with me, so to reimburse you for your services, I will need to mail a check. To whom and where should I send it?"

Mirajane shook her hands in front of her. "Oh, no, no. Like I said, we're something of a clinic. We help those in this neighborhood that can't afford medical care. Reimbursement is not expected."

Lucy pressed. "Well, I can afford it. Please, I wouldn't feel right not offering repayment."

"Then, wait until the master gets here. You can work out a payment plan with him."

Lucy sighed. "Mirajane Strauss, right? I'll just mail you the check and you can do what you want with it." With that proclamation, Lucy turned through the middle door and marched out to the sound of Mirajane's protests.

The clinic, she saw, was not a clinic at all. It looked more like a tavern, with a bar on one side, tables and booths crowding the floor and billiards tables and pinball machines tucked into a corner. Despite the deserted room, the front doors were unlocked and Lucy stepped blinking into the grimy afternoon sunlight. She didn't know what day it was, or how long she'd been out, but she was ready to put this all behind her. She eyed the storefront out of curiosity but wasn't surprised that there was no name. In this part of town a charitable clinic wouldn't be safe, especially if they stocked drugs like morphine. Thinking that made Lucy realize just how stupid an idea it was for her to try and get home on her own, but stubborn pride prevented her from returning inside and asking Mirajane's assistance. Somehow, Lucy felt like she didn't want to be around when the so-called "master" returned, so escaping now was her best bet. She headed north, where she could see an east/west street about a block away. As long as she went west, she'd reach the business district sooner or later.

She was almost to the corner when a sleek black motorcycle turned that corner and rushed past her. She paused, followed it with her eyes to where it turned down an alleyway. Walking with a little more purpose, the eyed the street signs at the corner. Hacienda and Bank. That was good. Bank Street was one of the major thoroughfares in Magnolia. She just needed to get out of this neighborhood and she would be fine.

Right arm pressed tightly against her and back ramrod straight, Lucy set off, not noticing the person who stepped into place behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Fairy Tail (c) Mashima Hiro and used for entertainment only. Please see additional disclaimers in Chapter 1.

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><p><em>Struggling from your voice inside my head<br>But now everything's trying to drag me down  
>But I'll rip the sky from the ground<br>But tell me now, who's my saving one_

"Jesus or a Gun" Fuel

It was in the early evening when Lucy staggered through the doors of her apartment building. Jun, the doorman, gave her an odd look but said nothing about her torn, bloody clothes or bruises and bandages.

"_Of course not."_ Lucy thought bitterly. "_No one cares, in this town. Five years living here and not even an 'are you ok'."_ She managed to give him a slight smile anyways, and went inside. Once in, she quickly made her way to the superintendent's office, not bothering to knock when she got there. She was shocked to see the man at his desk.

"Lucy! What happened to you?" He exclaimed with surprise, getting a look at her.

Lucy's smile this time was genuine. Tom was good people, a grey-haired, pot-bellied man in his late fifties who had worked in her building since his youth. His eyes always sparkled with good humor, and he knew all the building residents and actually cared for their well-being. Unlike the mindless drones of the city outside, with Tom you could always find a listening ear and a word of advice. Of course, he would be the first to tell you that the advice he gave was questionable at best.

She shrugged off his concern. "I was in an accident. Been in the hospital." The lie came easily, Lucy was sorry to note. "I lost my purse and keys in the process. Mind letting me in my room?"

"Sure, sure." Tom rose to his feet. "But you know, your young man was here not two hours ago. I think he found your purse for you."

Lucy froze. "E..Eli was here?" She was please to hear her voice remain calm.

"Yep. Brought a whole mess'o stuff. Didn't say nothing to anyone though, bit surprised."

"Ah." Lucy managed, weakly. "Before the accident, we, uh, had a fight. So I am sure he's pretty upset. Is he… still here, do you know?"

Tom's face cleared. "Well, that explains it. Nah, boy left awhile ago. He was only around for a few minutes. Here we are." They paused in front of her door and he took a key from his key ring. Unlocking the door and swinging it open, he smiled at her. "That arm looks pretty nasty, Lucy. If you need anything, you just let me know."

"Thanks, Tom." She returned his smile before slipping inside.

The inside of her apartment was austere, furnished simply with no style to speak of. It always made her feel like she was walking into a hotel, and Lucy hated it. She had promised herself on more than one occasion to add a touch of her personal taste, but had never gotten around to it. As it was, the apartment was furnished and funded by her father and she had never really felt like the place was home.

She noticed them after only a second. Lying on the entrance table were her purse, keys, mobile phone and a bouquet of red roses. Blood red roses. Lucy felt a chill go down her spine and walked over to them as if in a trance. Picking up the flowers, she saw there was a card as well. Her fingers were shaking as she opened it.

_I'm sorry I scared you._

_Can we talk?_

_-Eli_

That was it. She hiccupped a laugh. _Scared me? He's only sorry he scared me?_ The laugh turned into a desperate sob and she crumpled the card in her hands. Dropping it, she buried her nose in the roses. They smelled so sweet, but Lucy felt she could detect the scent of decay permeating the blooms.

The hallway was littered with rose petals when Lucy finally made her way into the kitchen in a daze. Her stomach was grumbling and she kept remembering the tray of food which she had refused at that clinic. Glancing at her phone, she checked the day and time. Two days. She had been out for two days. Her phone showed no missed calls. Of course not. The only person who would call her would be Eli, and he knew she didn't have her phone.

No job, no friends, no life. Only Eli and a stipend from her father in the bank. Lucy clutched the granite countertop in an effort to hold back tears. How long had she been so isolated? She couldn't recall when it had begun. Too long…

The sound of a quiet scrape from the living room made her gasp. Was it… it couldn't be. Did Eli know she was back? Was he here? Lucy looked around for a weapon, and grabbed a chef's knife from the island counter. Edging towards the kitchen door, she peered around the frame. She didn't see anyone. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves she called out, "Eli? Is that you?" No answer.

She heard what sounded like the whisper of fabric from the living room. Someone was definitely there. Creeping down the hall, knife clutched tightly, Lucy paused outside the room. She was weak, injured, vulnerable. She should make a run for it. The front door was just a few steps away, she could make it. Just a peek, to see the intruder and then… then she'd run. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, then braved a glance around the corner.

"Yo."

She screamed and the knife clattered to the floor. Lucy darted for the front door, but she wasn't fast enough. A warm, strong hand closed around her good arm and she slipped and fell to her knees.

"Whoa, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." His voice was a rough baritone that seemed oddly familiar, although Lucy was certain she had never met this man before in her life. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him. Black boots, black jeans and a black leather jacket filled her vision. She blinked and the threatening tears spilled over. All she could make out of his features was shockingly rose colored hair.

"What do you want with me?" Her voice wavered and Lucy hated herself for it. The guy dropped her arm and took a step back, running his hand through his hair.

"Nothing! I mean, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw you leave Fa… the clinic, and you looked pretty bad, so I tried to make sure you got home fine."

Lucy gasped and scrambled further away. "You were following me?!"

"No! Well, I did, but… shit." The guy crouched down and held out his hand, as if she were a frightened animal. "I found you on the street, the other night. You were in bad shape. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Lucy's frightened breaths were coming slower now. "Oh." She took in his features, now that she could see clearly. He was handsome, with a childlike openness to his face that made her want to like him, despite her reserves. She couldn't place his age, but she guessed he was only a little older than her own twenty-three years. Clutching her suddenly-aching right arm she leveraged herself to her feet. Once she was standing she eyed him again. "Who are you?"

He smiled cautiously, and she thought that it didn't suit him. "My name is Natsu Dragneel. I work at the clinic you stayed at."

"You mean the bar?" Lucy muttered under her breath, only to hear him chuckle. When she glanced at him again, his features smoothed out. "Is there anyone who can come stay with you? Your injuries are pretty bad."

"Yeah, I'll call a friend." Lucy lied smoothly, once again regretting how easy the lies and excuses had become. Natsu frowned at her. "Let me see your phone."

Surprised, Lucy found herself handing over the phone involuntarily. Would he see her empty call logs? The address book was still full, but she hadn't contacted any of those people in… how long had it been? Lucy hated to think about it. Natsu finished typing something in and handed the phone back to her.

"There, that's my phone number. You're Lucy, right? If you need anything just call me."

"Ah, okay." Lucy took the phone weakly. Natsu smiled at her and headed for the door.

"See ya around, Luce."

"Wait!" Lucy called out, surprising herself. Natsu paused. "How did you get in here?"

His grin was wide, infectious. Lucy felt the corners of her own mouth turning up in response as he called out "Window!" and left with a jaunty wave.

Lucy sat, in silence, for what seemed like an hour after Natsu left. She didn't think, didn't move. She listened to the silence of her apartment and _wished_.

_God, I wish for a chance to reclaim my life. I wish for family, or friends who love me. I wish for purpose. I wish I could redo these past two years. No, these past thirteen years. I wish I had made better choices. I hope I can make better ones now._

Her first choice would be putting her father's hateful money to good use. She picked up her phone and found a number she hadn't called in what seemed like forever. Lucy hoped it was still connected.

It was. After three rings someone answered. "Hello?"

Lucy gulped. "Hibiki? This is Lucy… Heartfilia."

Only a moment passed and the man on the other end began to laugh. "Lucy! Wow! How are you?"

She left out a breath of relief. "Not that great, really. God, Hibiki, I am sorry but I need to ask you a favor. Are you still good with computers?"

Hibiki Lates had been her boyfriend in middle school, but their relationship had been more like friends than romantic. Lucy had liked him because he was different, didn't fawn all over her because of who her dad was. Hibiki was easy-going, popular and handsome. These things all made excellent cover for the fact that he was one of the best hackers in the nation, and Magnolia's top information broker. To say he had been good with computers was an understatement.

There was another pause on the line, and then cautiously, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I uh. Well, I got into some trouble and a girl helped me out. She said her name was Mirajane Strauss. I want to compensate her, but I need her address."

Hibiki chuckled. "Lucy Heartfilia. You call me out of the blue after not talking for more than five years, just to ask if I can find someone's address for you? That's basic, you or anyone at your dad's office could get that info from Source."

Lucy rubbed her eyes, frustrated. "I don't have a computer and I don't want my dad to find out. Hibiki, you are the only person I trust to do this."

A third pause, much longer than the first two. "Is this in regard to the trouble you mentioned?"

"It is."

"Okay, I will do it. But not as a favor, I want payment." His voice had taken on a teasing lilt.

Lucy chuckled, relieved. "All right. How much?"

"Ahh, Lucy, ever so pragmatic. I don't want money. How about we have lunch on Friday and catch up?"

Lucy hesitated. Before two days ago she would have said no, with no hesitation, but now? She thought about the wishes she had made. "Yeah, sure, that would be great. When and where?"

"Let's say one p.m. I know a place, but it is kind of a hole-in-the-wall. You probably haven't heard of it, but I think you will enjoy it. That is, if you still like French food?"

"Of course! So, Friday at one we'll…" She trailed off.

"Meet me at Parfum next to the Heartfilia Bank & Loan on the boulevard. And I will text you that address here in a minute."

"Sounds good. Hibiki, you're a star, thank you so much." The relief was evident in Lucy's voice. She hung up the phone and sat back, glancing at the window. _"I came through the window."_ echoed in her mind and she shuddered. She checked the latch to make sure it was secure then turned to the door. As she studied the lock a jolt went through her.

_Eli still has a key._ Realizing that he could come in at any moment, Lucy jumped for her phone. Calling the Super's cell phone, she held her injured arm tightly to her body in nervous anticipation. Hearing Tom's voice on the other line, Lucy quickly made up a lie about losing her house key, and asked if he could change her locks.

"Well, sure, Lucy. But I ain't got a new lock right now. It'll take about three days to order one from the locksmith."

Lucy wanted to cry. "Sure Tom, do that please."

"In the meanwhile, if you're scared, you could stay with that boy Eli."

The irony of it made a sort of giggle/sob break from Lucy's throat. "Yeah, all right. Let me know when the lock comes."

"Will do. Good night, Lucy."

Genuine tears were streaming down Lucy's cheeks. She had realized, vaguely, over the past two years that she was burning a lot of bridges. She hadn't realized the extent of her isolation until she had tried to call her former friends only to get… nothing. Most people did not even answer the phone, and the few who did were distant. It was true that she had been shallow, but all her relationships had been shallow too?

Her father had succeeded, Lucy realized. His goal had always been to segregate her, to keep her away from the population as a whole. She had gone to the schools he picked out, been friends with people he approved of, and even lived in the apartment he had chosen and paid for. After Eli's introduction to her life, it had only become worse. She was in a corner. She was alone.

She scrolled through her address book. There… there… there… remnants of a life controlled entirely by her father and Eli. There was… Natsu Dragneel?

Lucy paused, thinking about the odd guy. He was associated with that clinic, and the clinic was in a bad part of town. He had helped her, though, or so he said. And although he had followed her home, and broken into her house, he had not hurt her. She found there was something likeable about him.

Too unsure to call, Lucy tapped in a text message. **Hi, this is Lucy, from before. Got a minute?**

The phone buzzed just a second later and Lucy jumped not expecting a reply so quickly. In fact, it was Hibiki texting her Mirajane's address. _"Good to know_._"_ Lucy thought. If nothing else, she could show up on the woman's doorstep and beg clemency.

However, just a moment after that came Natsu's reply. **RUOK?**

**Yeah, but I think my apartment was robbed while I was gone. I am really afraid, but I don't have anywhere else to go. **By this point, the lies were so easy Lucy almost did not notice. A moment passed.

**U NEED HLP?**

God, he was daft. She ground her teeth and replied. **A place to stay, for a few days, until my locks are changed. Can you help me?**

**GOT IT. BRTHR. **The message came swiftly and Lucy squawked. "What! Argh!" Well, oh well, she supposed. Although she had changed earlier, she needed to throw a few things into a bag for an overnight stay. She was rummaging under the bathroom sink, looking for her travel hairdryer when a voice behind her caused her to scream and bang her already sore head.

"Hey, you said you need help?"

"Oh my god!"

"Whoa! Jesus, Luce, it's okay."

Lucy was clutching her chest, staring at him wildly. "How did you get in?"

Natsu scratched the back of his neck. "The window."

Not knowing how to reply, Lucy deposited the hairdryer in her tote with her other necessities. "All right. Well, I'm ready."

"For what?"

She looked at him incredulously. "To go. I told you, I need somewhere to stay for a few days?"

He looked at her blankly, and Lucy wondered if this had been the right idea. "You said that if I needed anything to call you. I need a place to stay for a few nights."

Natsu's face cleared up. "Oh, right! Yeah, definitely one of the girls will have a spare room. I can take you to Fa… the clinic."

Before Lucy could follow, Natsu was scooping up her bag and pulling her out of the room. She snatched her purse, half afraid he would shove her out the window but he held open her front door like a gentleman. Arguing was futile, she realized, and to press the matter further would make it seem as though she had a creepy need to stay with him. Better let him pawn her off on one of his friends. It was only three days.

They saw no one on their way out of the apartment except Jun at the front door. He looked at her, and then closely at Natsu but he did not say a word. Lucy was swept out to the street where Natsu stopped in front of a large, black motorcycle. Handing her tote back to her, Natsu climbed on, then held out his hand. "C'mon, Luce!"

Lucy hesitated. His smile was full of reckless, boyish charm and she thought it suited him much better than the small, pained smile of earlier. In that moment she realized how much she wanted to be free. Grabbing his hand, she swung onto the bike behind him. "_Goodbye to the old me."_ Was her fleeting thought as they pulled away.

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><p>Author's Note: Hi guys! Here I am! Okay, so I am positively thrilled by the reception the first chapter got and will definitely continue this story. Thank you so much, and please keep the feedback coming! A few notes on this and upcoming chapters:<p>

1. I write slow but steady. I try to have two chapters written at a time, so as I am posting this, three is finished and I am starting on four. When I finish four I will post three and start on five, and so on. That way if I ever get in a slump I can still make an update. I also try to keep a uniform length, so all chapters should fall around 3k words.

2. There is going to be a lot of information and not so much action in the next few chapters but that will change, I promise. I do not foresee this being a very short story - I have a lot I want to work through, and I want to develop the NaLu romance at a logical rate. (It will happen! It will!) So if that isn't really your thing, please bear with me until I can make all the gang fighting and romance come around smoothly.

3. I will used established characters as much as I can within the AU setting so there may be some things that seem OOC. I hate this. I don't want to do this. But I also dislike inserting random original characters into lead slots if I can avoid it. Soooo... um, yeah, ha ha that's my creative choice. I apologize if it offends you and I will do my best to keep everyone in character.

That's it! Next chapter should be up in the next few weeks. As always, if you have any questions about the story, my writing progress or just want to chit-chat you can find me on Twitter or Tumblr. I am **rockermystic** both places. Thank you so much, until next time! xo


	3. Chapter 3

Fairy Tail (c) Mashima Hiro and used for entertainment only. Please see additional disclaimers in Chapter 1.

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><p><em>Go on with our lives and lose those things behind.<em>

_Wrapped around in lies, we stand there voiceless._

_We want to live our lives, until we find a way._

_Searching for the light for eternity. _

"Fukai Mori" Do As Infinity

Perhaps it was the fact that it was approaching the weekend, or perhaps because it was now well into the evening, but when Lucy and Natsu arrived at the clinic-but-really-a-bar there was rowdy noise and music blaring from inside. Every so often, someone would stumble out the front door and the noise would increase, along with a spill of bright light, then the doors would swing shut and things would become muted again. Lucy found it hard to believe that this place, on this street, wasn't a target for criminals but perhaps the clinic's good deeds meant more here than she realized.

"C'mon, Luce." Natsu beckoned her from the half open door. With a nervous gulp Lucy shouldered her overnight bag and purse. What had she been thinking? All she wanted to do was go to a comfy hotel room, order room service and soak in a bath for about a hundred years. Yet, it disgusted her to use her father's money that way. So instead she had called upon a virtual stranger for help. _Stupid, Lucy!_

She walked hesitantly through the door that Natsu had already let swing nearly closed. What had previously been raucous noise silenced in an alarming tidal wave fashion from where she stood at the front of the room. Embarrassment flushed from her toes to her hairline as she saw multiple faces looking at her. Most, if not all, were decidedly unfriendly. Natsu, that right bastard, had melted into the crowd. Angry and self-conscious, Lucy made a turn towards the door when she heard a gasp from the back of the room.

"Oh! Lucy! You've come back!"

Turning around again, Lucy saw the woman called Mirajane at the back, behind the bar. Natsu sat on a stool in front of her, talking animatedly to another girl with red hair. Mirajane waved enthusiastically and Lucy began to pick her way in that direction. She flinched at the multitude of harsh stares she received.

"When Natsu told us about following you home I thought, 'Oh god, now he's done it', but here you are! I am so relieved."

"Ha, ha, yeah, well…" Lucy shuffled nervously. Mirajane smiled and pushed a drink towards her.

"This is just water, but we have several beers on tap, and a full selection of liquors." Mirajane's smile remained benign and Lucy felt herself relax just a touch.

"Ah, water is fine for now. What happened to being a clinic?"

"We are a clinic, of course! But we're also a bar and a couple of other things when the need arises."

"Um, sure. So, this place is called…"

Mirajane's mouth was half open when the red-head interrupted. "Never mind that. You're Lucy, I assume. Natsu says you need a place to spend a couple of days."

Lucy flinched again. Unlike Mirajane's soft demeanor this woman seemed hard and unfriendly. Lucy really didn't want to stay with her but did she have any other options? Before she could speak, however, the woman went on. "My boyfriend has been staying at my place, so I don't have the spare room, but I think Levy does. She's not here right now, so I've sent her a text."

"Haa…" Lucy replied weakly. She was getting shuffled around like an unwanted gift, and once again the urge to turn tail and run was strong. Would it really be so bad, if she went to her father? He would certainly help her, wouldn't he? Her father could not possibly know what kind of man Eli was; could not possibly know what he had done to her.

No. Those were the type of passive thoughts that had allowed her father and Eli to control her for so long. It was time for her to find her own path and somehow, deep in her core, Lucy felt that this place could help her. Soon, she found herself sipping her water and listening to the carousing that was going on around her. Although Lucy felt distinctly uncomfortable, there was a strange sense of camaraderie that made her feel… at home. The conflicting sensations were enough to keep a constant heat creeping up the back of her neck, made worse whenever she felt a pair of eyes fall on her and linger. Only Mirajane's kind smile was a safe haven in the storm, and Lucy found herself watching the other woman bustle behind the bar, pouring drinks and shouting orders back to the kitchen. She had just started to relax when all noise and activity stopped dead. Even Mirajane stopped her constant motion and watched the person who had just entered the bar.

Lucy could feel it on her back, the presence that approached from behind. It was overwhelming, the simple sense of being, and she was terrified to turn around. It wasn't until Natsu called out "Gramps!" with a childish glee that Lucy dared to peek over her shoulder. There stood the tiniest old man she had even seen. Stooped, with a bald head and bushy hair sprouting from under his nose and in his ears, he squinted at her in the manner of a man who desperately needed spectacles but was too proud to wear them. "So, we have a visitor." His comment was directed at no one in particular, but both Mirajane and Natsu jumped to answer.

"This is Lucy from the other day." Mirajane gestured towards the back rooms, as if to remind him just which "Lucy" had been in their clinic before.

"This is Lucy, I brought her to stay." Natsu said with a nonchalant shrug. Lucy's ears heated up at the implications, especially when the old man's face split into a lecherous grin.

"Luuuuuuucy-chan!" He crowed. "Of course, of course! You left so suddenly the other day that I

didn't even get the chance to say hello! Luckily Natsu made your acquaintance, hmmm?"

Lucy blushed furiously, while Natsu looked between them with a bewildered half grin on his face. Mirajane jumped in, scolding the old man. "Now, Master, you can't talk to Lucy that way! She is seeking asylum here."

"Asylum, you say? Very interesting. Lucy-chan, answer me this - do you know where you are right now?"

Embarrassed and indignant Lucy wasn't able to hold her tongue. "A skeevy bar on the wrong side of town that fancies itself a clinic?"

A couple of the patrons growled, and one even reached as if going for a weapon, but the old man waved his hand and laughed. "Close, very close, my dear. This is, in fact, the headquarters of Fairy Tail."

It was too much. Her injuries, her fear, her exhaustion and now this - the news that she was inside the headquarters of one of the most feared gangs in Magnolia. Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but her head was swimming. With a vague gesture that could have been desperate or offensive, she fainted dead away.

It was like deja vu. It _was_ deja vu. Lucy was coming awake slowly on that uncomfortable twin bed in the sterile clinic room. Only… nope, this was definitely different. Three sets of eyes watched her intently. On her right and left were women, but Lucy's attention was immediately caught by the old man sitting cross legged on the end of the bed. He smiled at her in a manner which managed to be both kindly and lewd. She pulled her eyes away from his, and looked at the woman to her right. It was a young lady - no, a girl. Definitely a girl, but wearing a stethoscope and pristine white coat in a way that was almost alarming. Quickly turning left, Lucy was relieved at the sight of the third person. Another young woman, about Lucy's own age with friendly eyes and a slight smile. It was she who spoke.

"We must have overwhelmed you. You're not recovered from your injuries. My name is Levy McGarden, and I think we'll be roomies for the time being."

Lucy smiled back, some of her tension easing. "Hi, I'm Lucy." She felt like an idiot immediately because Levy had to know who she was already. "Um… I am sorry to impose, I guess."

"Levy, I think Lucy should stay here. She's a bit anemic and I want to monitor some of those injuries." The girl cut in. Looking again to Lucy she frowned. "It's just that, well… there's something off about the pattern of bruising, and then the fractures… I am concerned."

"Girls." The word was quiet but firmly spoken by the gentleman on the bed and Lucy was forced to look at him again. This old man, the Master of the infamous Fairy Tail gang, was nothing like Lucy could have ever imagined a gang leader to be. She would have pictured leather and tattoos not houndstooth pants and a sweater vest.

"You came to our clinic in a very bad state, young lady. Wendy is quite right to be concerned. However, you are not a prisoner here. We want to offer you our help, and asylum if you need it but I need your honesty, as well. Is there anything, or anyone, connected to you that we should be worried about?"

A thousand different images swam through her head. Jude Heartfilia, Heartfilia Enterprises, Eli Featherstone, the corrupt District Attorney's office, even her Friday meeting with the certainly-shady Hibiki. But she could not, she simply could not, bring herself to say any of those things to the man in front of her. So with the ease of years' practice in lying she looked him straight in the eye. "No, sir."

He held her gaze for a long moment and Lucy thought she was caught in the lie, but then he hopped of the bed and brushed his seat. "Very well then. My name is Makarov and I run Fairy Tail. Wendy Marvell there is our physician. And Levy will take you home with her while you get your situation in order." He grinned at her in a very unprofessional way and added, "If you are in need of employment, well, our bar could always use a costumed waitress."

"MASTER!" The other two women cried as he cackled and escaped the room.

Levy's apartment was sparsely furnished, in a rundown section of town not far from Fairy Tail itself. Lucy gave her the side-eye going in, but Levy just shrugged. "I'm on a stipend and everyone knows who we are, so I don't get bothered… much. Those who try get run off pretty quickly." She giggled behind her hand and Lucy wondered just who did the running off. After Wendy had given her the all clear to leave, Levy had whisked her away pretty quickly. Lucy hadn't even seen Natsu to say thank you. Levy pointed to a worn sofa. "That pulls out into a bed. Other friends have slept there before, but for now it is all yours. I have clean sheets in the linen closet, I'll put them on."

Lucy was about to let her tackle the job. After all, her father had always paid for a maid to come and clean her apartment. At the last moment, however, she remembered that she was trying to separate herself from the person she had been before and put out a hand.

"No, Levy, it's fine. I can do that myself, if you will point the sheets out."

Levy looked hesitant, as if letting a guest do the work did not sit well with her, but a look at Lucy's determined face convinced her. "Ok. First closet down the hall, top shelf. Be careful, it is a bit full."

Full was an understatement. Every nook and cranny was crammed with books, and Lucy realized there were even more taking up unobtrusive space in the tiny front room. "Do all these books belong to you?" She asked incredulously, earning a slight blush from her hostess.

"Well, yes. I love to read, so the gang picks these up for me whenever they get the chance. Most of them are pretty strange stuff. For instance Wendy is always getting anatomy and biology books, and Erza loves giving me fashion stuff. Most of the novels came from my… uh, my friend."

Lucy wondered if this was the same "friend" who took care of those who bothered her, but didn't ask. The girl was clearly hesitant to talk about it. "Well, I love to read. I also love writing. Actually, once upon a time I fancied myself a novelist, ha ha."

Levy's face lit up. "Oh, feel free to read anything you'd like! Plus, if you want to write something I can easily get you a notebook. I'd be happy to be your editor." The two women shared a comfortable smile, then Lucy went back to the business of making the bed. Inside, deep down she felt a warm little glow. Was this what it had been like to have friends? No, even before Eli, her friendships hadn't made her feel like this. It was nice. She shook her head. That was wrong. It was scary. Lucy remembered Eli's terrible threats, and her father's callous uncaring. No, trusting people and letting them in could only lead to disaster. Quickly, she stamped out the happy feeling.

The first night was uneventful. After their initial exchange, Lucy did her best to keep conversation impersonal. It hurt, a bit, because she could sense Levy was frustrated and withdrawing from her but Lucy reminded herself it was all for the best. Besides, tomorrow she would see Hibiki, someone who knew her. Lucy wouldn't have to be so guarded, she hoped.

Friday dawned bright and clear. Levy indicated that she had some sort of employment she needed to get to and Lucy couldn't hide her relief. The other woman took her as far as a bus station that would take her back to the business district in West Magnolia, and gave her instructions and a spare key to return to the apartment when she was finished. Lucy waved her off while making a vague impression that she was going to look for a new car, hers supposedly having been totaled in her "accident".

The bus dropped her off about two blocks from the shop where she was appointed to meet Hibiki and she poked her head into the various other stores along the way. Her clothes were borrowed from Levy and fit a bit tight in the bust and loose in the hips; Lucy wished she could whip out her credit card and buy some new things. Such activity, however, would alert her father to her whereabouts, and Lucy was loath to give him any information that he could use against her. She knew she would have to face Jude eventually. She just wanted it to be on her terms.

The perfume shop was tiny, tucked between the bank (Heartfilia Bank & Loan. Their only competition was Bank of Fiore, which had been incorporated into Heartfilia Enterprises very quietly years ago) and one of Lucy's favorite boutiques, Anabel's (Operated by N. , Inc. which was a subsidiary of Heartfilia Enterprises). The perfume shop, however, was independently owned and operated and Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that was the very reason Hibiki had suggested it for their meeting spot. She was a bit early, so she loitered outside, people watching. Every so often she thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but she brushed it off. The Business district was full of people employed by her father's company. It would be impossible not to have seen any of them before.

Peeking at her cell phone, Lucy saw that it was one o'clock on the dot. She was slipping the device back into her purse when a voice at her elbow made her jump. "Lucy."

Whipping her head she saw Hibiki Lates standing next to her. How he had shown up so quickly she didn't know, but her face split into a grin. He looked exactly the same, handsome and cool, just as he had in Middle School. The only difference was his strawberry-blond hair seemed to be tamed a bit, and he wore a pristine business suit.

"Hibiki!" Lucy leaned, as if to hug him and then froze when she realized what she was doing. To her dismay the matching grin on Hibiki's face dimmed a bit, and was quickly replaced by a frown. "Have you been waiting here long?"

She shook her head. "Not too long. So where are we going?"

"Here." He indicated the shop. 'We're here."

"Ha… I thought we were having lunch?" Lucy eyed him suspiciously, and Hibiki smiled again.

"We are. We will. But we need to go inside, first."

Taking her arm, Hibiki lead her into the shop. There was no one behind the counter, yet Lucy couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She followed Hibiki straight to the back, through the back room door and into the tiniest storage space she'd ever seen. It was there that Hibiki rounded on her and blocked the exit, effectively pinning her against the wall.

"What's going on Lucy. The truth."

She gulped. She should have known Hibiki could find out about her father and Eli. "I'm just having some problems with my dad, that's all. A family disagreement."

"So you went to _Fairy Tail _for help?" He was glaring.

_Oh, shit_. Lucy didn't know what was going on, or how Hibiki knew she had been at that gang's clinic, but in that moment a smooth lie wouldn't come to her. "I.. uh… just…"

"Drop it. Listen Lucy, I don't know what kind of family problem involves gang warfare, but since you involved Fairy Tail, I can't help you without permission."

"Permission?" Lucy croaked on the word.

"Of course. I joined Blue Pegasus years ago. Fairy Tail is an allied gang."

Lucy gaped at him. Thoughts swirled through her mind, first and foremost being _makes sense_, but Lucy couldn't seem to catch on to any one thing in particular. Finally, she sputtered.

"What exactly were you planning on doing with me when I came here? Especially if I hadn't gotten Fairy Tail involved?"

Hibiki gave her a sideways glance. "Dummy. I was going to ask you if you wanted asylum with Blue Pegasus. I think you'll quickly find that here in Magnolia, things aren't quite what they seem."

With that, he indicated a door so tiny that Lucy had not even seen it next to her. "After you."

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>I am so, so sorry. This chapter has been sitting for ages on my drive, and I haven't been able to get around to editing it. I finally gave up, so if it feels a bit rough, I really apologize. I have had a lot going on with my life and health, so I haven't been able to sit down and work on this properly. With that said, there might be a longer break between chapters, at least through the next few months. There may not be. I just don't want anyone to be upset if I don't update for quite some time. I wish I could be faster!

If you ever have any questions or want to know when the next chapter may become available, you can find me on Twitter and Tumblr, both rockermystic. I always answer tweets and asks, because I can do so quickly from my phone, so it is preferable to e-mail. A PM here works, too, but may not be replied to right away! As always, thank you so much for reading and I appreciate any thoughts you'd like to leave behind. xo


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: _All recognizable characters are property of their respective owners. See warnings and disclaimers in the first chapter.  
><em>

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><p><em>She's talking to angels,<em>

_Counting the stars_

_Making a wish on a passing car_

_She's dancing with strangers, falling apart_

"Waiting for Superman" Daughtry

The tiny alley opened through an even smaller door into a remarkably crowded establishment. It was the French restaurant Hibiki had mentioned from the beginning, only now Lucy realized the place served as headquarters for Blue Pegasus much the same way that bar did for Fairy Tail. Hibiki eased her past rowdy patrons with the ease of practice, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder how many girls he brought here. He had certainly been a flirt back in the day, and it didn't seem like much had changed.

Finding a table nestled into a corner Hibiki motioned to a waiter who left without even a word. When he turned back to Lucy, Hibiki's eyes were serious.

"You really got yourself into something, didn't you, Lucy?"

Taken aback by the sudden words Lucy shifted and looked away. "What do you mean?"

"Only that Heartfilia Enterprises is one of the biggest backers for the D.A.'s office, and they are adamant about taking down the gang hierarchy here in Magnolia. For you to willingly align yourself with Fairy Tail, well, that speaks volumes."

In that instant Lucy debated telling Hibiki everything. They had been friends and he was a hacker genius, maybe he could help her. Yet there still remained a nagging at the back of her mind that Hibiki was not someone she could entirely trust. Instead she spun the half-truth that she was getting so practiced at.

"Father wants me to marry, but I'm just not ready for that. I ran away, and had an accident. Fairy Tail happened to help me out. It was purely coincidence."

She didn't expect someone as smart as Hibiki to believe her, but he seemed to accept her explanation. Settling back he smiled. "Let's forget that for now. We're two old friends! I want to get reacquainted."

It was difficult, maintaining her facade with the man grilling her at every turn. He wanted to know what all their old friends were up to, how her father's business was going and just how she was liking Fairy Tail. All but the last were things he could have easily turned up for himself through Source and it was easy to tell he was prying her story apart. Lucy held fast, though, through years of practice. By the time the final course was finished and all the wine had been drank, Hibiki seemed a bit frustrated. Lucy was mirroring the sentiment, and couldn't wait to get back to Levy's apartment where she wouldn't have to get the third degree.

Hibiki offered to walk her to the bus stop, but she declined politely. With a wistful look in his eye he asked, "You wouldn't happen to want to do this again, would you?"

It pained her to say it but Lucy couldn't find it in her to want an attachment to the handsome man. "I'm sorry, Hibiki. Things are too difficult for me right now."

"I thought as much." He smiled. "I'm certain I will see you around, and feel free to call me if you need anything." With a jaunty wave he was back to his old self, and returned inside the restaurant.

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><p>Lucy found the correct stop and sat to wait. No other passengers were around and with dusk falling, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. The schedule was printed clearly on the shelter wall, and she was uncomfortable knowing the next bus wouldn't come for nearly ten minutes. Despite the busy atmosphere of nearby streets, very few cars passed her as she waited. A black sedan, windows tinted, rolled by slowly and Lucy studiously looked anywhere but directly at the vehicle. He father used cars like that for escorting associates around town, and Lucy would hate to be recognized at this point. She breathed a sigh of relief when the vehicle cruised to the next light and turned right.<p>

A minute or two went by without further incident, then Lucy hear a sound behind her. She stilled and strained her ears. A small, crying voice made a noise that sounded almost like 'aye'.

A child? Lucy thought to herself. Turning, she peered around the bushes planted behind the bus stop. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Aye." Came the cry.

"Are you lost? Do you need help?"

"Aye!" it was a little louder now.

Standing up, Lucy tried to find the source of the noise, while still keeping her eye out for the bus. "Hello?" She called again.

"AYE!" It was right by her feet and Lucy jumped back with a start. There, turning in circles around the leg of a lamppost was a cat. Medium sized, with fur so grey it was nearly blue, the car meowed away. "Aye, aye, aye!"

Lucy laughed. It was a healthy looking thing, and when she held out her hand, it came eagerly. She scratched its ears and above its tail, the cat all the while talking in its funny voice.

"Aren't you a beauty? You're obviously eating well." Whether the cat was a stray or not, Lucy couldn't tell. She could see lights approaching and saw that it was the Southbound bus. Giving the cat one last pat she gathered her things. As she stepped on the bus, its' parting 'aye' sounded eerily like "Bye!"

Lucy felt stupid for assuming that the bus would drop her off right in front of Levy's apartment complex when she knew the other woman had driven her the half-mile or so that morning. It still made her uncomfortable to see the distance stretching out in front of her. Although the apartment complex was well maintained, the neighborhood was distinctly… sordid. She didn't see any cars, or even any other people, and she walked quickly with a purpose towards the complex.

It was only when she came around a slight bend in the road that she saw it. A black sedan. It was identical to the one she had seen earlier, and she suspected it was the same indeed. Those suspicions were confirmed when a man exited the rear doors.

"Lucy. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Eli." Her pulse hammered at her throat and she felt the overwhelming urge to run. But there wasn't anywhere for her to go, and she saw no help in sight. Straightening, she faced him, but did not step any closer.

Eli seemed to sense her recalcitrance, because he held out a hand pleadingly. "I miss you, Lucy-goosy. We had a tiff. I apologized. Can you come home now?"

The absurdity would have been laughable, if she had not been so terrified. His casual tone. That stupid nickname. The fact that he called it a "tiff". So many thoughts were racing through Lucy's head that she could not speak. Eli took this as some sort of acceptance, and came to her. Despite the fact that Lucy visible shrunk away from him, he took her arm and began escorting her to the car.

"I took the liberty of having your apartment cleaned up. There was glass and rose petals all over the entrance way, and clothes strewn everywhere in your room. I think someone broke in. It is probably best that you stay with me for the time being."

Every instinct told her to fight, but Lucy was a deer trapped in the headlights. The open door of that sedan loomed closer and she felt tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She should have known. It was futile to try and escape Eli; even more so her father. She would never be free, would never…

"Hey!"

* * *

><p>Lucy jolted, and both she and Eli turned to look in the direction of the voice. It was Levy; short, with her wild blue hair going in all directions. She was huffing, and Lucy realized she must have ran the two blocks from the apartment building. Had she been watching for Lucy? Waiting for her to return home? Lucy was so relieved in that moment that her tears began flowing for real. "Levy! Help me!" She found her voice at last, and cried desperately to the smaller woman.<p>

That very same woman who upon hearing her words drew a shining black hand gun from the waistband of her jeans and aimed with a steady hand at Eli's head. "I don't know who you are, but that's my friend. Let her go."

Eli laughed and flicked two fingers. His driver stepped between them and Levy in the blink of an eye, and she stepped back. Her aim did not waver, however.

Eli sneered. "I know who you are, Levy McGarden. Petty theft, assault, larceny. You're not a good person, not at all. My Lucy-goosy shouldn't have anything to do with you, and I'm not going to let her."

"No…" Lucy moaned, and then furiously began trying to yank her arm out of Eli's grasp. As usual, however, his strength was too much for her. She tried to kick him, but her twisted knee from their previous struggle made it painful to turn her foot. Eli noticed her efforts, though, and with a casualness that made Levy gasp, he hit her across the face. Lucy's healing nose exploded in pain and she dropped to her knees. At the same time, a gunshot sounded, and the driver fell. Lucy's eyes were watering so badly she couldn't see clearly, but Eli dropped her arm and half-turned to look behind him. Levy's stance relaxed and she dropped her arms, taking her finger off the trigger.

A male voice Lucy did not recognize rumbled behind her. "And I know who _you_ are, Assistant D.A. Elijah Featherstone. Wouldn'a taken you for a wife-beater, though. And a coward, ta boot. Hi Levy. Sorry I'm late."

Levy laughed a little. "Nah, I had it. But it is nice to see your aim is still perfect, Gajeel."

Eli looked between his two opponents. "Gajeel Redfox. You're a member of Fairy Tail. So that means… he looked between Lucy and Levy, understanding dawning in his eyes. With a smirk that bordered on a sneer, he threw Lucy to the ground. "So that's how it is, you bitch. Not enough to tell your daddy, you had to take it to the streets, as well. That's fine; they can have you but I promise you this, you and all your new friends will be very, very sorry." With those words he got in the driver's seat of the sedan and peeled away in burning rubber, leaving the body of his driver behind.

The new arrival walked up next to Lucy, scratching his head. "With parting words like that, it figures he's a villain."

"Gajeel! Help her!" Levy shouted, clearly frustrated with his nonchalance. "Then do something about this asshole!" She kicked the driver for good measure. It seemed to make her feel better, because she did it a few more times for good measure. Gajeel chuckled, then hefted Lucy to her feet. Lucy mewled in a bit of pain, and Levy shouted again. "_Gajeel!"_

"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled. "Sorry." Was tossed, offhand, to Lucy. He went over to the dead man and Lucy got a good look at Gajeel for the first time. Thick black hair tumbled down his back, and piercings studded both his face and body. He was tall, and the short Levy looked even smaller in comparison. The young woman hurried over to Lucy.

"Oh my god, what the hell was that all about? Who was that? I mean… I guess I know who it was, but what did he have to do with you?" Levy carefully ushered her around the body and in the direction of the apartment.

"Ha…" Lucy laughed weakly, trying to figure out what to say. "That was… he is…"

"Levy. Forget it for now. Master is coming anyways." Gajeel interrupted, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. A reprieve, however short, could be enough for her to come up with a plausible story.

Levy looked at the man, but did not respond. Instead, she turned to help Lucy back to Levy's home, taking care not to aggravate Lucy's injuries.

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><p><em>It wasn't long enough. <em>Lucy gulped, looking at the three in front of her. _No amount of time would have been enough._

Gajeel and Levy relaxed on her floor, but Master Makarov had taken a seat on a chair across from Lucy. That he was sitting on several books did nothing to alleviate her nerves.

"Lucy-chan, you were not honest with me." The old man looked at her directly, his gaze seeming to penetrate her very soul.

"I am sorry." Was all she could whisper, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Master! You're making Lu-chan cry!" Levy admonished. Makarov did not relent.

"She lied to me, and by doing so she put you in danger. She forced Gajeel's hand as an Enforcer and she put the entire gang at risk from the D.A.'s office. If they decide to go on a witch hunt now, Magnolia will be bathed in blood."

Levy visibly blanched, and Lucy's vision blurred. Her weakness continued to cause trouble, eve for Levy who had called her _friend_. Enough was enough.

"Eli is my boyfriend. Or, was my boyfriend. We've been together for three years. The night I came to your clinic, he tried to kill me." Her voice was steady despite her fear, and the straightforward declaration made Makarov pull back a bit. Peering at her from under bushy brows, he asked. "Just who, exactly, are you?"

Lucy let out a shuddering breath. "Lucy Davis. My father is Myron Davis, on the board of Heartfilia Enterprises. I met Eli through him." Lucy felt bad for using Myron the Dick's name, but he was a man close to her father's age who was notorious for his poor treatment of the female staff at HE. Lucy didn't dare reveal the truth, not even now. If her father found her…

Levy looked up again. "I didn't know Mr. Davis had children." The comment was so casual, but level of investigation it implied shocked Lucy. Upper staff of HE were notoriously private and a man on the Board should have been damn near invisible. She gulped. "I… I'm illegitimate."

All three Fairy Tail members nodded as if this made perfect sense and Lucy was saved again. Master Makarov leaned back. "So you met a well-connected guy who turned out to be an asshole. No surprise there. What I want to know is why has he gone through the trouble to stalk you, when as an A.D.A. he can pretty much wipe his slate clean, should you come forward with allegations of abuse?"

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. To tell, or not to tell, Eli's secret. If she told, she would have a target on her back for as long as Eli lived. But didn't she already? Sighing, she looked out the window while she gathered her thoughts.

"The District Attorney's office has been supporting the illegal trade of firearms through Magnolia. Elijah Featherstone is actually Elijah Post. He is the fourth son of the head of the Post Family, and his assignment as an A.D.A. is entirely the work of his father. He helps oversee the business liaisons. Lately, however, he's been channeling funds into the Cartel de Hechizo. If he is found out, he'll be killed."

"Hmm." Makarov stroked his mustache. "How did you find out."

"I overheard him one night on the phone. When he found out was the first time he hit me. After that, he got more violent. He thinks I told my… um, someone at Heartfilia Enterprises. I did not. If they know, it is not through me."

Makarov stared at her again, that soul-searching stare. "Yes, I think this time you're being truthful. Well. This changes a lot. Levy, call Fairy Tail together, we need to discuss how to proceed."

Lucy's heart was hammering in her chest. "What about me?" Makarov grinned his lecherous grin. "Oh, we can't let you go, Lucy-chan. You're our precious leverage."

Suddenly, Lucy did not know if she should be terrified or relieved. Perhaps she had gone straight from the frying pan into the fire. Yet oddly it felt refreshing. She was taking control back from her father and Eli. She could take control back from Fairy Tail, as well, should it be necessary.

This, she was sure of.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This has been a terribly long time coming, but I did promise to see this story through and I will do so, no matter how long it takes. And for every favorite, follow and review, thank you so much. It means the world! Please be aware, though, that I am several months behind on manga development, so any character information that has been revealed since late August or so may not be included. Well, this is AU anyways, but I didn't want complaints about mis-characterization.

However, this is one of the reasons I still need a beta for this story! Please check out my profile for requirements, and send me a PM! I need your help!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail and all associated characters are the property of Mashima Hiro et al. This story is for entertainment purposes only. Please see the full disclaimer in the first chapter.

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><p><em>Cinderella's on her bedroom floor<em>

_She's got a crush on the guy at the liquor store_

_'Cause Mr. Charming don't come home anymore_

_And she forgets why she came here_

"Fairytale" Sara Bareilles

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><p>It was a surprisingly quick meeting, considering the matter at hand. Makarov explained succinctly about Eli's new found interest in Fairy Tail, and gave a general briefing about how the information had come to him, without involving Lucy or her situation too heavily in the matter. Lucy found that she herself did not have to input much, other than verifying what information she was able to provide. However, the end of the meeting saw the gang members breaking off into smaller groups, and she was beckoned over to a group that contained Makarov, Natsu, Gajeel, Levy, the red-headed woman and surprisingly, Mirajane.<p>

"Lucy-chan, for the time being you'll be residing in a Fairy Tail owned apartment." Master Makarov began.

"It's just a few doors down from mine!" Levy chimed in, more excited than Lucy thought she ought to be, considering all that had happened only hours earlier.

"Yes, ahem." Makarov shot the young woman a look that was a cross between irritation and affection. "It is not acceptable to have any more incidents like the one today, nor is it acceptable for Fairy Tail to become entangled in Magnolia politics at this time. We have certain other concerns, and a corrupt district attorney's office is not one of them."

"I understand." Lucy was both awed and humbled that they were still willing to help her out, despite the trouble she had caused so far.

"Please be aware, Lucy, that this isn't charity." Mirajane added. "We know that you are friends with Hibiki Lates, and we also realize that through your father, you have access to certain sensitive information regarding Hearfilia Enterprises. What we ask is that you be willing to work with Hibiki on occasion, and provide as much information about the conglomerate as possible."

Lucy gulped. Hibiki knew who her father really was, but did it even matter at this point? Here was an opportunity to free herself from the silken cords that had bound her since her mother's death. "Yes, I'm willing to help."

"Are you willing to become an official member of Fairy Tail?" Makarov again. "I assure you, it is not a simple task. The membership ceremony alone can be tasking, and the bonds of brotherhood within the guild are for life."

Lucy felt the other shoe drop. This, then, was the price to pay for freedom. Escaping her father and Eli only to run headlong into the clutches of what was, for all intents and purposes, one of the most notoriously vicious gangs in Magnolia. Certainly, everyone seemed kind, but a gang like Fairy Tail did not build up a reputation for bloody and violent methods without some sort of evidence. She wavered.

"You do not have to decide tonight." The redhead, Erza, interjected. "All recruited members are given 72 hours to contemplate their decision. You may have the same, on one condition."

"Which is?" Lucy asked warily.

"I need to know a security code that will get me past the public floors of the Heartfilia Tower. I assume you have one?"

Lucy did. She used it often in the past when visiting her father at work. "But all personnel access codes are traced by computer. If mine is used, security will think I have entered the building."

"It is all right. Hibiki can change the information attached to the code through the Heartfilia link in Source, but he can't generate a new code since each one is individual to the owner."

Lucy knew. She knew all too well. "All right. I have no intentions to ever return there, so my code is as good as yours."

"Excellent." Makarov rubbed his hands. "Now, shall we go and visit your home for the indefinite future?"

* * *

><p>It did not surprise Lucy that Master Makarov had a car with a driver. It was a sleek tan Cadillac DeVille, with windows tinted as black as night. <em>Not legal at all<em>, Lucy thought bemusedly. What **did** surprise Lucy was how both Mirajane and Erza rode with the Master and Levy climbed comfortably behind the hulking Gajeel, leaving Lucy standing awkwardly next to the sleek black Harley that she remembered just so well.

Natsu looked at her as if she were losing her mind and handed the second helmet back. "Well, did you want to go or stay?"

Embarrassed but not sure why, Lucy made a show of buckling the chin strap to hide her flaming cheeks. Swinging on behind the young man, she tried not to think about how warm he was through his leather vest. She clutched at him as securely as she could, while still maintaining her distance, but she jumped and held tighter when the machine roared to life. There was something so intimate about riding pillion that she was glad for the rushing wind to cool the heat that had risen along her neck and face.

Luckily the ride was short, and they pulled up in front of a building that was indeed only a few doors down from Levy's apartment. Lucy jumped off and held out the helmet without meeting Natsu's eyes, and he took it from her without a word. She hurried to where Levy stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"It's a second floor room, I hope you don't mind." Levy pointed. "They all are; they're more defensible that way."

_Defensible against what?_ Lucy wondered, but she didn't ask. She had learned from the blow of a fist that there were things in this world she was better off not knowing.

"I'm going home, and Erza is upstairs with your key. She'll stay until Natsu comes back."

"Until Natsu comes back with what?" Lucy looked at the smaller woman, dumbfounded.

"With his things, of course. It was decided by Master that since Elijah has seen you here, and has seen you with me, that you and I will have a guard for the time being. Gajeel will stay on my couch, of course, but Natsu will have to make do with the floor." Levy giggled.

"Oh." Lucy's mind was racing. Did she mean the floor outside the apartment door? That hardly seemed fair. Lucy was a grown woman, she could handle a strange man sleeping in the same apartment as she slept... probably.

"Uh, Levy, why Gajeel and Natsu? I heard Master Makarov refer to Gajeel as an "Enforcer" but I don't know what that means exactly."

Levy smiled, in the manner of a mother who's child has said something especially cute. "Fairy Tail has two Enforcers, Gajeel and Natsu. It's no secret. They do all the dirty work for the guild, work that other guild members might want to keep their names out of."

"But why acting as bodyguard?"

"Simple. They're our dragon slayers, you know? They can take down anyone who tries to come against us. Since your ex-boyfriend already knows Fairy Tail is involved, better to have them here than someone like Erza, who does work not associated with the guild at all."

Lucy's mouth had formed a silent "O" shape. With every piece of information that was revealed, it became obvious how sheltered she had been for her entire life. Growing up the daughter of Jude Heartfilia, she'd been aware that the gangs existed, and that sometimes their turf wars spilled into the city proper and not just the outskirts; the city slums and shanty town by the southern shipyards. Her own mother had been killed in a drive-by shooting outside of a high-class department store in the middle of western Magnolia. Jude had drilled into Lucy's head over and over that Magnolia's gangs were dangerous. Casualties filled the news every night. With her own eyes, Lucy had witnessed Gajeel, an "Enforcer", casually kill a man.

She shuddered. Yes, always the news was filled with gang violence. Never stories of politicians who mysteriously disappears in the night; men and women who opposed the pyramid of power with Lucy's own father at the top. There were never stories of the children trafficked out of Fiore, to meet god-only-knew what ends. Never stories of corrupt ADA's who beat women. Of drug queen-pins whose heroin filled the veins of teen-agers, dead behind the sheltering walls of private schools.

What was the truth, and what were lies? Lucy's head spun, and she did not even hear Levy's words as she made her way to the apartment door. 2C. Yes, a fitting room. To see, only, clearly this time.

The door was unlocked, and Lucy started when she saw the interior. It looked as if no human had set foot in the apartment in years. Completely bare, the tile flooring of the common area had layers of grime between the cracked grout. The dining room was furnished with a card table and two rickety folding chairs. Erza sat in one, primly, clearly not happy with the situation. The apartment key rested on the table in front of her. Lucy was somewhat timid as she approached the stern-looking woman.

"Is... is this it?"

"Yes."

Lucy took the key and looked around again. The broken Venetian blinds covered windows so dirty she was certain that no light could managed to make its way inside, even at the peak of day. Down the hall revealed a tiny bathroom, in the same shape as the rest of the place. It was the bedroom, however, that shocked her into an audible gasp. A bare bulb over a single twin mattress on a plastic frame that looked near to collapsing, and nothing else. No sheets, blankets, pillows. Returning to Erza, Lucy shook her head. "I can't do this, I just can't. There is no pillow!"

Erza let out a sigh that was not unkind. "It is too expensive for the guild to maintain these apartments. If you plan on staying a while, you might need to do some housekeeping."

Lucy gaped like a fish. In her mind, she had imagined a place similar to Levy's. Of course, that could not be possible. Levy's apartment was her _home_. This was just Lucy's refuge.

Erza seemed to take pity on the younger woman. "If it makes you feel better, Natsu is supposed to bring bedding, for you and him. Of course, it is Natsu so..." her voice trailed off, but Lucy did not know exactly what was being implied.

As if on cue, there was the rumbling of a very loud vehicle from outside, and Erza stood, brushing her seat. "I will see if he needs help with anything."

Not sure if she should stay, or follow Erza, Lucy chose the option that seemed less like a pampered princess and headed down the steps. At the bottom she could see a bobbing pile of sheets and pillows, with just a bit of salmon hair peeking over the top. 'Don't drop him, dammit!" Natsu was hollering back to Erza who was free of any baggage but for a black duffle on her shoulder. It only took Lucy a moment to see that the duffle actually had mesh panels, and seemed to jiggle on its own.

Natsu shouldered past her, and Lucy saw his own duffle, huge and bulging. She could only imagine what was inside, but since neither of the two seemed to need her help, she dutifully followed Natsu back inside, and closed the door once Erza made it through. Natsu had already dumped his bundle on the cot in her so-called "bedroom", and pulled a grimy blanket and pillow from somewhere in the depths. When he brought them out to the common area, Erza sighed, and shook her head.

"I told you last time, you need to wash your bedding, and towels too, Natsu, not just your clothes."

He looked at them and shrugged. "Not like any one sees them, and Happy likes the scent."

At that declaration, a plaintive "aye" came from the carrier Erza had set down, and Lucy gasped. "Something is in there?"

"Of course." Natsu unzipped the bag and lifted out a plump cat. "This is Happy. He goes everywhere with me."

It was the same cat she had seen at the bus stop, Lucy realized. Fur in gray that was nearly blue, and such a distinctive meow. Today, Happy wore a yellow scarf tied jauntily around his neck, and he rubbed at Natsu's legs. Lucy had to stifle a giggle at the sight of the blue hairs clinging to the man's dark jeans.

"He's quite friendly", She commented, leaning down and extending a hand. Happy sniffed her and mewled "aye!" before turning his attention to this new human.

"He likes you." Natsu rumbled, a strange glint in his eye. Erza simply shook her head, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "That damn cat", before turning around with a wave of her hand. "I have to get home. I told Jellal I would not be late tonight, so he will get suspicious if I am not home on time."

"I still think it's weird you let your boyfriend believe you work in legal aide." Natsu hollered at her retreating back, only to be rewarded with a middle finger salute before the door slammed closed. He made his way around Lucy and the cat and flipped two deadbolts and a chain latch, before turning back to her. Lucy wondered about the awkward way he rubbed at the nape of his neck. Before, both at her home and at the guild, his easy sincerity was almost infectious. She might have thought him a damn idiot, but she remembered the way Happy had approached her at the bus stop, and how quickly Gajeel had shown up when she had run into Eli. At first, she had thought Levy had called him, but taking it all into consideration, Lucy did not think so.

"Do you need your arm looked at?" Natsu finally asked, after a pregnant pause.

Lucy's own thoughts had been wandering, so she jumped a bit when he spoke. "Oh, no. I don't think so. It's sore but it doesn't ache anymore."

"Hmm." He eyed the bruises visible beneath the bandages on her nose and cheek. "So, your blue blood boyfriend really did all that to you?"

Lucy paused, and remembered that he had not been present when she originally told her story to Master Makarov and the others. She wondered how much she should say, how much she could trust this stranger. Before she could decide, he spoke again.

"When I found you, I thought you were dead. You'd collapsed only ten feet from Fairy Tail, and I nearly ran you over."

His tone was so solemn, Lucy couldn't help but feel that it didn't fit. Just as the way that empty smile which had not reached his eyes seemed to feel so wrong back at her apartment, this eerie morbidity hung around Natsu like a cape that she wanted to rip away. _Smile, dammit!_ She screamed, internally.

"Wendy thought maybe you'd escaped from a trafficking ring. They sometimes beat the girls to death." He looked her dead in the eye. "Lucy, if your pimp is looking for you, you don't need to lie. Fairy Tail will still protect you."

Lucy reeled back as if she'd been hit, again. _They don't believe me._ She thought, desperately. _Even here, they don't believe me._

With the evidence - Gajeel had seen Eli with _his own eyes_, had called him by name - and Lucy's own testimony, there was no reason to doubt her words, even as someone unknown to the guild. Lucy straightened, brushing Happy away. "I was not trafficked. Elijah Featherstone is as I say he is. You, and your guild, don't have to believe me." With that, she retreated to the empty bedroom, and slammed the paper-thin door. It was always the same. It was always Eli who stood, head above the crowd, while poor Lucy Heartfilia was pushed down, down, down.

Not anymore. If Fairy Tail didn't believe, she'd go to Blue Pegasus. Hibiki knew her, _knew_ she would not lie. Lucy would stop Eli from doing to another woman what he had done to her, and in the process, she would stop her father from turning a blind eye to the evil in the city.

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><p>Natsu lay on the hard floor, Happy curled up next to him, and listened to Lucy cry softly in the bedroom. He was not sure what about his question had upset her. After all, hadn't he made it clear that Fairy Tail would help her, regardless? But he'd seen the tiny flicker of light go out of her eyes, had seen her rigid posture. He was reckless, but he wasn't totally clueless. If his probing had hurt her, he supposed it was worth the cost. Fairy Tail were his friends, his <em>family<em>, and he would protect family at any expense.

Ever since _that_ time, he'd been with the guild. He'd started out as an errand boy, then a grunt, always working harder and harder to improve. He'd honed his skills with a knife under Makarov's watchful eye, and then learned everything there was to know about guns and ammunition from Makarov's son, and heir, Laxus. He'd worked his way up to Enforcer, earning the title over stronger men. He was the Salamander of Fairy Tail, as his tendency to leave things burning in his wake was well known throughout the city and its slums.

It was the life he had built, to protect those who had protected him, in his own time of need. He'd be damned if he let limpid chestnut eyes and an amazing rack bring it all to pieces. So yes, he would ask the hard questions. His very job was to be the bad guy, and he'd do his job as he always had.

Even if being the bad guy meant listening to pretty girls cry, alone.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> My greatest apologize about the HUGE delay between chapters, I never intended to go nearly half the year without updating. If you have an inkling of curiosity about what has delayed this chapter, that info is on my profile. Now, for the fun stuff - I _do know_ that I previously said this story will be told from 100% Lucy's point of view, but have you ever tried to build a romance with someone, without knowing a single thought running through their head? Yeah, it's like that. So we will see some of what Natsu is thinking, as evidenced by this chapter. As usual I'm taking many liberties, while still trying to maintain character, and as usual, I'd love a beta reader to help me out! Especially since I _still_ am not up to date on the manga. All the info is in my profile, of course, and if you want more information about updates, follow me on Twitter or Tumblr, both are "rockermystic". Thank you for reading! xo

**Edit:** I had to fix a minor continuity error - like I said, it has been almost eight months since I've read the manga, and longer since I've watched the anime! If you didn't notice, it was no big deal, just a little thing that bugged me. This is why I need a beta, you guys. ;_;


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **_Fairy Tail_ and all recognizable characters belong to Mashima Hiro, et al. **Warning** for mild prescription drug abuse and gun violence in this chapter. See full list of disclaimers and warnings in chapter one.

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><p><em>I keep going to the river to pray<br>'Cause I need something that can wash all the pain  
>And at most I'm sleeping all these demons away<br>But your ghost, the ghost of you, it keeps me awake _

"Ghost" Ella Henderson

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><p>Lucy groaned and blinked her eyes against the sun slanting in through the dusty blinds. She was tangled in the thin blanket, and her back hurt from sleeping on the lumpy old mattress all night. She lifted up a hand to push blonde strands from her eyes, and noticed the fine tremor in the fingers of both hands. Clutching them together, she silently willed the tears away. Her eyes already felt puffy and sticky.<p>

She could hear bickering coming from the living room, but she ignored it and hit the bathroom instead. After her morning eliminations, she tried to rinse the grit from her eyes. With no hand towel, she was forced to wiped her face on the hem of her tee shirt. She realized in surprise that she hadn't changed clothes in nearly two days, and immediately felt disgusting. Her bag was still in the living room, so she had to brave the company she heard out there to retrieve it.

She cracked open the bathroom door, only to have it shoved further by the little blue cat. "Aye!" Happy cried, happily, as he twisted himself around her ankles. Lucy couldn't help but smile as she scooped him up, and steeled herself for what was to come next. When she walked into the main area of the apartment, she was surprised to see three people there. Natsu sprawled comfortably on a bunched up blanket on the floor, and a man and woman sat in the folding chairs. Lucy struggled with a blush when she realized the man was shirtless, and had the type of body that deserved to be on display. Happy jumped from her arms and went to his master, curling up on a small patch of Natsu's blanket.

The bickering she'd heard stopped abruptly when Lucy entered the room, and awkwardly, she gestured to her overnight bag. "I need to, uh, I need to get my things."

"Hey Luce, hold up." Natsu grinned at her cheerfully from his position, as if the night before had not happened. "I want you to meet these two. She's Juvia Lockser and this asshole is Gray Fullbuster."

Juvia stared silently at Lucy's muttered "Hello." She had a distinctly penetrating gaze that made Lucy feel as if the other woman were staring right through her. She turned and offered Gray a shy smile.

"Yo." He waved briefly, and Lucy had to avert her eyes from the way his pectoral muscles flexed. She did not see Juvia's own gaze sharped as she shyly waved back.

"These guys just got back from handling some guild business outside of Magnolia. They're gonna hang out with you today 'cause I got some shit to do."

Lucy looked at him, wondering what kind of business he had, and wondering if she dared ask. After last night, she was re-thinking her decision to come to Fairy Tail for help, but until she could come up with a plausible reason to leave, she was stuck. So instead of asking the questions she wanted to ask, she simply agreed. "All right."

Snatching her bag, she hurried back to her bedroom to change. She could hear more arguing from the front, followed by what sounded like at least one of the chairs being overturned. She flinched, but pulled up her shorts and slipped her feet back into her heeled sandals. The sound of the front door slamming punctuated her exit and return to the front room. Juvia still sat primly in her chair, while Gray had his chin on his fist and was glaring at the front door as if his eyes could freeze it over. Lucy smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear, trying to hide the trembling. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to my apartment and pick up a few more things?"

Juvia smiled a pinched smile. "Of course, Miss Lucy. Shall we go right away?"

"Um, yes, please. I have some, ah, medications that I need to take." Lucy clenched her jaw and kept her eyes away from Gray, who had turned his gaze to her.

"We shall go then. Juvia drove today, since Gray-sama is exhausted from our long trip."

Gray didn't _look_ exhausted, in Lucy's private estimation, but instead she followed the two out the door. Locking it behind her with the key Erza had given her, Lucy was at the bottom of the steps when she heard her name. Turning, she saw Levy waving eagerly. The other woman trotted over to her, Gajeel trailing behind.

"Hi Lu-chan! How was your first night?" Levy clasped her hands, happily.

"Well it was a bit... difficult." Lucy admitted sheepishly. "The apartment is a bit rough."

"The apartment?" Levy side-eyed her, then laughed. "Don't worry. When I first came here, mine was the same. Rough around the edges and all dirty from disuse. It just takes a little spit and polish, then you'll have something really nice to come home to. That is, if you plan to stay."

There seemed to be an underlying meaning to Levy's words, but before Lucy could finish processing the thought, a rough hand pulled her by the elbow. She automatically flinched away, and Gray held up his hands in apology. "My bad, I forgot about your situation. We're going. What's up you guys?"

The last was directed at Levy and Gajeel, who chirped "Going to work!", and grunted, respectively. Lucy was mostly pleased to see Gray was wearing a shirt now, and Juvia stood at the driver's door of what had to have been the _bluest_ Volkswagen Beetle Lucy had ever seen. It was so incredibly ostentatious that it was clear even Gray was embarrassed to been seen riding with her, although he got in without complaint. Lucy slid into the cramped back, not even a seat, and held on tight. Juvia peeled out in a manner that elicited a yelp from Lucy, and a curse from Gray.

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><p>"Miss Lucy, where is your home?" Juvia asked, as if she were not screaming up a quiet side street at sixty miles per hour.<p>

"Eep!" Lucy bit back a yelp when Juvia ran the stoplight and swerved around the corner. Lucy was not sure how it was possible to fishtail so much on dry pavement, but Juvia straightened out without a hitch.

"57 Strawberry Street! Apartment 203reeeeeeeeeee!" Her voice ended in a shriek as Juvia missed oncoming traffic by only inches. From there she just closed her eyes and prayed to any god that was listening she would make it home alive.

"Here!" Juvia screeched into a guest parking spot and jumped out of the car. Gray and Lucy followed shakily. "She always forces me to let her drive." He muttered to Lucy, "And she drives like she's possessed. But hey, you didn't throw up, so you're doing better than Natsu."

Lucy giggled behind her hand and Juvia shot them a dirty look. "Gray-sama, perhaps I should drive to Hargeon, next time? You seem so out of sorts."

Gray visibly blanched. "I was just telling Lucy how unfortunate it is that Natsu can't ride shotgun with you. It's too bad that he gets carsick if he doesn't drive."

Juvia's narrow look was suspicious but she did not argue. Lucy led the way into the building, towards the elevators. She was about the push the button when a voice called out. "Oh! Lucy! I have your new keys!"

She turned and smiled at Tom. "Thank you! Would you believe I nearly forgot? I thought you said it would be three days, so I was crashing with a friend."

Tom smiled and handed her the shiny new keys. "Are these your friends?" He looked at Gray and Juvia askance. Lucy gave him an endearing smile.

"No, no, this," she indicated Juvia, "is an interior decorator I've hired, and her assistant. I'm doing a remodel."

Juvia beamed. "Hello."

Tom was not suspicious by nature, and under the pretty woman's full attention he melted. "Lucy, that's wonderful. It's been a long time coming!"

"It certainly has. Okay, well, we're going to do... measurements. I'll be staying with my friend until construction is complete. Oh, and Tom?"

"Yes?"

"Elijah and I are taking an indefinite pause in our relationship. If he comes by, please don't tell him I've changed the locks, or am staying elsewhere."

"Oh, Lucy, I'm sorry." Tom's face fell. "He is such a nice young man."

"Ahaha." Lucy choked out, then waved goodbye. Inside her apartment, nothing was changed, and she showed the other two her living room, then went to pack more essentials. In her bathroom she popped open the medicine cabinet. There were two bottles of legal prescriptions, one for migraines and one for her birth control. She pushed these two aside and took the third, unmarked bottle. She shook two pills into her hand, and swallowed them dry. She'd forgotten them in her haste before, now she took all three bottles back into the bedroom. The two in her name she dropped in a rolling suitcase. The third, she tucked in her purse.

Adding more underthings, clothes, and shoes to the case, Lucy glanced around, to make sure she hadn't missed anything else. Sitting on her vanity was a small jewelry box, and she stepped to it. Opening the case, she shifted jewels right and left then pulled out a tarnished silver locket. She opened the pendant to reveal faded pictures of a smiling man and woman. She ignored the man, and gazed at the woman. Not much older in the picture than Lucy was now, Layla Heartfilia smiled beautifully at the camera, the joy of new motherhood evident on her face. These pictures had been taken when Lucy was just a baby, the locket her first "grown-up" gift from her mother when she turned ten. That had been less than a year before her death.

Lucy dropped the locket on top of her clothes, then shut the case. If she never returned here, she would hate to lose her last memento of her mother. Done, she lay back on the bed. The pills were starting to work. She didn't feel as euphoric as if she had snorted them but even swallowed, her tremors were eased and a sense of happy numbness had begun to wash over her. She lay on her soft bed, and soft pillow and hummed as her mind began to drift.

* * *

><p>"<em>Lucy, this is Elijah Featherstone." Jude Heartfilia smiled at his daughter. "He is Heartfilia Enterprises' new liaison to the District Attorney's office."<em>

"_Hello, Lucy." The handsome young man smiled at her, and Lucy blushed. At twenty-one, she'd had several boyfriends, but her last real fling had been with an assistant in her father's company. It was hard to date, being the daughter of the most powerful man in the city, and Elijah was just her type._

* * *

><p>"Miss Lucy?" Juvia's voice roused her and Lucy shot up. "Pillows!" She cried, and laughed at her own outburst. Juvia gave her an odd look and sighed. "You must get pillows, then, Miss Lucy. Juvia has another errand to run."<p>

Still giggling, Lucy pulled her pillows off her bed and stuffed them under her arm. Grabbing the suitcase handle, she beamed. "I'm ready."

The car ride back was much more exciting than the trip there, and Lucy was laughing with exhilaration. "Juvia, that was so fun! I can't wait to ride with you again!"

Juvia and Gray exchanged glances, and Juvia handed Gray the two pillows. "She is in a very good mood, do you not think?" Juvia asked under her breath. Gray shrugged, but was also watching Lucy skip up the steps, good hand clutching her suitcase and her other arm swinging in her sling. Frowning slightly, Gray followed her upstairs. Juvia jumped back in her car, and with a squeal, pulled away.

Inside, Lucy had deposited her bag, and was sitting on a folding chair. She smiled at him when he came in.

"You seem to be in a better mood." Gray mentioned, and she shrugged. "It just feels nice to get out and about. Plus, Juvia's driving was very... invigorating."

"Ha, well, that's true." Gray smirked. "She's not so bad when you get to know her."

"Are you two..." Lucy trailed off, embarrassed.

"No, nothing like that." Gray gave her a charming smile. "We work well together. Despite how it looks, our personalities are very similar. She's adaptable, like water, and I'm cold as fuck." He chuckled.

"Are you away from the guild often?"

"No more than any other guild member. We all do grunt work for the most part, with some special assignments here and there. Natsu is the only member who doesn't travel much. He's not good with transportation."

"You mentioned that before." Lucy sighed. Her high was wearing off, and stress and boredom were setting back in. "So, ah, what should we do now?"

Gray glanced at his phone. "Levy will be off work soon. We can go there and hang out."

So they did. Levy preferred books to television, but she had a small set and a PlayStation. Soon Gray and Gajeel were involved in a serious game of _Call of Duty_ and both Levy and Lucy had their nose in a book. As the minutes ticked by, Lucy was getting more and more anxious and uncomfortable. Her arm hurt. Her head hurt. Her back hurt. Looking up, she tapped Levy on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" The other girl replied without a glance.

"Um, my arm hurts. Do you know if your doctor said I could take anything?" Lucy kept her voice low, but she didn't have to whisper. The grunts and curses from the guys were enough to mask her query.

"Oh!" Levy looked up. "She gave me something! You can take them up to every eight hours, as needed, no refills. The bottle is in the bathroom, by the sink. Your name is on it."

An orange bottle sat exactly where Levy said it would, but it only had her name, the prescription and the dosage scrawled on a sticker on the front. Shrugging, Lucy swallowed two of the pills, and pocketed the bottle. It was from there that she heard the commotion. Stepping into the hallway, she began to be clear about what was going on as she approached the front room.

"You ruined a perfect mission, you fucking jackass." Gray's voice, irritated, bordering on angry,

"Yeah, well you didn't just spend ten fucking minutes tryna' figure out where your goddamned ward was, so fuck off."

"You didn't, for _one fucking second_ think that maybe we were at HER NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR'S?"

Natsu stood in front of Gray, seething, and the other man had quickly worked up to the boiling point. Gajeel was holding a black and white cat Lucy was seeing for the first time, and looked ready to jump in at any moment. Levy was just shaking her head. "Guys, can you not do that in my living room? I don't want to have to redecorate again."

She was ignored. Natsu had chosen that moment to take a swing at Gray, who dodged a second too late. The hit caught him just at the edge of his jaw and he stumbled, hit the corner of Levy's couch, and tripped into Lucy knocking them both over. At thee same time, Juvia popped her head in saying "Juvia saw the door still open. Gray-sama we..." she trailed off with a gasp, seeing Gray on top of Lucy. "Juvia was right! Miss Lucy _is_ after Gray-sama!"

"No, Juvia!" Gray shouted as he pushed himself up, then helped Lucy to her feet. "That idiot hit me, and Lucy got in the way."

Lucy's eyes were watering from the pain in her arm, and the words rang in her ears. _Lucy is in the way... in the way... in the way..._ tears came unbidden, and Levy growled then hit Gray, and Natsu in turn. "Assholes! Look at what you've done. You know you aren't supposed to fight like that!"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm fine. My arm hurts, that is all."

Levy's shoulders relaxed, and she exchanged looks with Gajeel. "Hey, it's past dinnertime. Why don't we go out to eat? Mira's probably stopped serving food, and I don't want to eat leftovers."

Natsu perked up. "You buying?"

"_I'll_ buy." Lucy said, emphatically. At least she could do this much.

* * *

><p>The fast food joint was mostly empty past the dinner rush, but a couple of punk-looking kids loitered in the back. They did not bother the members of Fairy Tail though. Lucy shifted on her hard plastic chair, scrunched between Natsu and Juvia. Across from her Levy beamed and both Gray and Natsu pouted. Gajeel and Juvia were talking about <em>something<em>, when several men and a woman walked in, and the mood shifted. Everyone kept on as they were, but Natsu and Gajeel were stiffer, exchanging slight nods. Gray had slouched back even more, if possible, and Juvia had gone silent. Levy's smile was forced and tight. Lucy examined the other group more closely, and saw they all wore matching patches on their outerwear.

"Grimoire Heart." Levy muttered through clenched teeth. "This is neutral territory, but they're rivals, so, we have to watch our backs."

The other gang had noticed their group, but seemed content to avoid the Fairy Tail members. The female had sat down nearly as far from them as possible, near the rowdy kids, and was browsing her smartphone. The men joined her in quick succession, eating and talking as stiffly as those around Lucy.

"Let's get out of here." Gajeel muttered, and was just getting up when the Grimoire Heart girl pointed at something on her phone. As one, all the heads at that table swiveled towards Lucy.

"Shit." Gray muttered, ruffling his hair. Next to her, Natsu was so tense he was nearly quivering. The girl had stood up, walking towards them.

"Excuse me? You're Lucy, right? The one that has been in the news?"

"What?" Lucy stammered. She hadn't seen anything about the news! Had her father done something?

"You're a missing person?" The girl was good at acting nice, but her smile was slipping, and behind her the guys were starting to move around. "There is a reward, from the District Attorney's office, if you're found."

"You are mistaken." Levy interjected. "You have the wrong person."

The woman cracked. "Hey, Fairy Bitch, find your silence. I wasn't talking to you."

Gajeel moved but Levy moved faster. Despite being half a head shorter than the other woman, she swung hard and landed a firm hit upside her jaw. The girl fell back, and it was too late. One of the guys she was with had produced a handgun from somewhere, and there was a scream from one of the employees. Lucy found herself being pulled to the dirty floor by Juvia, where Levy was also crouching and shaking her hand. "Ouch." She muttered. "Still worth it."

Lucy had a partial view of what was happening. The Grimoire Heart girl had scooted behind a planter, and she could see Gray's legs next to the wall that separated the booths. Gajeel she couldn't see at all, but Natsu was barely shielded, behind a different table, and had two Glock 9mm semi-automatics. Where he had been keeping them, Lucy couldn't have guessed, but she also couldn't tell where Levy kept pulling her small pistol from.

"We are not going to be allowed at Weinerschnitzel any more." Juvia said, mournfully.

"I know." Levy patted her consolingly. "Tell those idiots to step back, or you'll never see a chili dog again."

Juvia moaned but instead called out, "Gray-sama! Tell Juvia you are not hurt?!"

"Goddammit woman, not now!" Was the answer, followed by cursing from multiple parties.

"Seems to be fine." Levy shrugged.

Lucy wanted to scream. Her head was buried in her arms but still the _pop! pop! pop!_ of the shots being fired sounded as loud as cannonballs in her head. Beyond their small enclave, she couldn't make out many words, but she muffled a horrified gasp when she saw one of the Grimoire Heart members slump in front of them, blood pooling underneath his vacant-eyed head, while Natsu chambered his guns. Levy took the momentary lapse to yell out, "Natsu! We're going to get banned! I'll tell Erza what happened, if this doesn't stop!"

The two remaining Grimoire Heart men backed off, palms up. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. We didn't know we were dealing with Fairy Tail's Enforcers. Man, shit got too real, too fast."

"Lemme take Isabel and we'll leave, man, we ain't trying to get beef." The younger of the two looked between them and the woman. At Natsu's slight nod he pulled her up and all three scurried out the door.

"You okay?" It was a question asked all around, Lucy found both Levy and Natsu looking at her with inquiring eyes. She ignored them, ignored Gajeel pointing and gesturing with the restaurant manager, ignored Gray trying to pry Juvia off his neck. She stumbled outside and collapsed on the dirty curb. She heard slow footsteps following her, but she didn't turn around.

"No, no, this _isn't_ okay!" She moaned. "I was trying to get away from these fears, I was trying to save my life, but this is even worse!"

"Then why the hell'd you come to Fairy Tail for help?" Natsu asked, roughly.

"I didn't! I mean, I didn't know. Once I did, it all seemed too late. Besides, you probably would have killed me for knowing too much." She put her face on her knees, and turned her head to where she could see his black clad legs from the corner of her eye.

Natsu snorted. "This isn't a movie, Luce."

"So that man in there is dead for good?" Her voice was accusatory, but Natsu just shrugged.

"They were Grimoire Heart, and barely members at that. I've never seen any of them before. Everyone joins knowing the risks."

"Do they?" Lucy asked, mostly to herself, as she remembered Makarov's conditions.

"At least tonight, it was one of them, not one of us." Natsu stepped past her.

"And Natsu didn't burn the building down!" Levy added, cheerfully, walking by with Gajeel.

"And we are not banned from Weinerschnitzel." Juvia said in relief, clinging to Gray's arm.

"So whaddaya say, Luce?" Natsu called from his bike, holding out the helmet. "You gonna sit there all night?"

With a sigh and a moan, Lucy pulled herself to her feet. He looked like an idiot, but he _was_ right. She could only go forward.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: A question and a bit of information for my readers! First - do readers prefer these long chapters, or would a greater number of shorter chapters be easier to read? At the current length, I expect the story to have between 25 - 30 chapters. If I shortened them, then you'd probably get 30 - 35 chapters, but the physical length of the story as a whole would be shorter, and the updates will not come any quicker. I'm asking entirely in regards to readability, not update speed. Let me know how you feel about chapter length!

Second, I'm bad at writing physical action, so a lot of the plot will be driven by Lucy and Natsu's thoughts and feelings. (I will work very hard to keep them as OC as possible.) However, there will be _some_ action, but because I have never personally been in firefights, fistfights (outside of bar brawls, lol) or car chases, please forgive my inaccuracies. I'm extremely amenable to resources that aid me in writing those scenes, but I'd rather you didn't just send flat criticism. Help me out!

And speaking of help, I'm always looking for beta-readers! My profile has all the information, and you can get a hold of me here, or on Twitter or Tumblr, both rockermystic. Thank you!


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